Pinking mechanism



Jan. 3, 1939.. v, J, slGQDA 2,142,683

' 4PINKING MECHANISM Filed Feb. l0, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gA'rTo'RNEY" Jan. 3, 1939. v. J. slGoDA PINKING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1937 l-NvEN-roa V/c To? JIS/600A ATTORNEY Patented` Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 13 Claims. (Cl. Ilz- 124) My present invention relates to certain lmprovements in pinking mechanisms, and has for an object the provision of an improved and simplified construction of this character which can be advantageously and eiilciently employed ln a number of capacities and relations for pinking materials and especially materials in garments that are being manufactured on a sewing machine.

'I'he pinking mechanism of my invention has been constructed and designed in particular for use in connection with power-operated highspeed sewing machines of the class employed in the garment industry in producing womens wear.

In the manufacture of dresses and underwear according to present day practices and methods, pinking in various relations and capacitlesis required. If the particular machine put at the disposal of an operatorv for doing her work is noty equipped to do all the pinking required in the production of a particular garment, then the particular pinklng which cannot be done on that particular machine must be done by hand, or by the use of a pinking iron, or the garment must be taken to another machine which is equipped to do the pinklng desired. All of this tends to cause confusion in .the factory, waiting and loss of time on the part of the operators and to result in a product lacking in the perfection and excellence which lt otherwise might have.

The object and purpose of my invention are to provide a pinking mechanism having substantially a. universal character and through theA agency of which to do all the pinking that may be required to be done upon a garment that is being produced on a sewing machine. In other words, on a factory sewing machine equipped with my improved pinking mechanism, a garment may be completed not only with respect to the sewing of the same but also with respect place. An important advantage of the arrangement lies in the fact that it is possible not only to edge-pink the work but also to internally pink the same and in any direction. Another advantage is that sewing and pinking operations may be carried out concurrently as a unitary machine operation; or each of them may be persa formed independently of the other. The regulation of pressure for causing plnking of the work upon the pinking ring' or cutter is entirely automatic and the means for such regulation is arranged so as to compensate for differences in the thickness of goods and as well in the numberl .of `5 layers of goods that are pinked at one time.

The nature of the general principles andobjects above referred to, as well as other and additional objects and advantages which will be apparent as the description proceeds, and the man- 1 ner in which they may be embodied in concrete formy and means, are explained in the following detailed description of the particular mechanism herein illustrated as an example, and to which 15 reference is nowdirected.

In the drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:-

Flgure l is an end partly sectional view of a sewing machine embodying my improved pinkiag mechanism; 4

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view showing the pressure regulating device;

Fig, 3 is a top plan partly sectional view. parts being broken away and omitted in order to disclose the pinking mechanism:

Fig. 4 is a section and elevation taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, with the pinking ring and its mounting plate in full lines; thisy view also v showing a fragmentary work piece extending beneath the pressure-foot and seixed between the pressure roller and pinking ring;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, arevarious fragmentary partly sectional forms of work pieces. with pinked edges of the kind produced by my pinking mechanism;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a work piece showing internal pinklng; and

Fig. 11 is a similar view showing internal pinklng .produced on a curved path.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention 4l or substantially so. This base-plate, which may n be and preferably is employed in place of the customary throat plate (not shown) of the machine, includes as part thereof a throat plate portion 23 having openings 24 therein for accommodating the feed-dog and an opening 25 for the sewing needle.

In setting forth the preferred form of construction, I prefer to associate my improvements with a type of cutter or pinking device heretofore invented by me and which comprises an endless pinking ring 26 having on its top face raised or upwardly-presented pinking teeth 21. 'This ring is mounted in a horizontal position lfor bodily rotation in a raceway 28 provided for the purpose in base-plate 2|. As will be observed from Figs. 1 and 3, the pinking ring is so mounted with relation to the presser-foot and needle that in rotating it passes closest to the heel portion of the presser-foot at the inner side of the stitching produced by the needle as shown by the dash-pot line 29 which indicates the stitching proceeding rearwardly on a straightaway feed line from the needle. Upon this closest segment of approach, the work is pinked by the rotating pinking ring, thework for such purpose being pressed downwardly upon the teeth of the pinking ring by means of` a top rotatable pressure roller 30. In this connection, it is to be observed that the roller 30 operates upon the pinking ring in such position that the work is pinked after it has been stitched by the needle and in definite ,relation to the line of the stitching traveling from the needle.

The pinking ring is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 3|. Most desirably, the pinking ring is operated in synchronism with the operation of the feed dog, and for the operation of the pinking ring I preferably take power from the actuating feed dog. In this connection, suitable transmission means may be provided whereby the pinking ring will be given a rotative movement each time the feed dog is given a feeding stroke or movement for feeding the work. Specific means whereby to operate, the pinking ring by power taken from the feed dog and specific -means whereby to mount the pinking ring in the base-plate for easy rotation, are fully illustrated and described in my application for Letters Patent, Serial Number 45,787 filed Oct. 19, 1935, and Serial Number 114,931 filed Dec. 9, 1936. I desire to remark here and to have it distinctly understood that in the present arrangement the endless pinking ring'may be operated through any suitable transmission means from any suitable source of power; and that, therefore, for the operation of said pinking ring, I do not regard myself as being confined to power taken from the feed dog or to transmission mechanism deriving its power from the same.

According to an important feature of my invention, the roller 30 is supported for operation from a face plate or casting 32 which is detachably mounted on the sewing head of the machine by means of screws 33 or equivalent devices. size and shape, the face plate 32 is oi course designed to suit the sewing head of the particular type machine for which it is intended. At its lower end, it is made with an integralportion 34 whichextends downwardly and rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 1. Said extension 34 is made with upper and lower bosses 35 and 36 in which are fixed horizontal studs or pins 31 and 39, respectively.

Mounted upon the pinv 31 for vertical swinging movement between the head 39 thereof and the inner end of the boss 35 is the enlarged end f 40 of an operating lever 4I having a front end or handle portion 4| adapted conveniently. to be seized by the fingers. As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 3, from the enlarged portion 40 the lever 4| is sharply curved at 42 and thence proceeds along a line at a divergent angle with respect to the vertical plane of said enlarged portion. -The purpose of this is to dispose the lever 4I for operation a distance from the pressure roller 30 and pinking ring segment upon which said roller operates, so that said lever .will not interfere with the pinking operations in any way and yet have its end 4|', when depressed, as shown in Fig. 1, immediately confronting the operator.

A bell-crank lever 43 is mounted for vertical swinging movement on the pin 39 between the head 44 thereof and the inner end of the boss 39. One arm 45 of the bell-crank lever carries at the front end thereof the rotatable roller 30 by means of which the work is pressed upon the teeth of the revolving pinking ring. 'I'he other arm 46 of the bell-crank lever is provided at the top end thereof with the pressure regulating device 41 which consists of a cylindrical portion containing a'coiled spring 49 imprisoned between the end plug 49 and a movable plunger 50. Now, it will be observed that the enlarged portion 40 of operating lever4l is made with a cam portion 5| and dwells 52 and 53; and also that for cooperation therewith the stem of the movable plunger 50 projects from the rear face of arm 46. A pull spring 54, having one end attached to the arm 45 and the other end to the extension 34, constantly maintains the bell-crank in an upward position in which the free end of the piston stem will engage the cam portion 5i or one of the dwells 52 or 53 according' to the position of the operating lever 4|.

Under the described arrangement and as clearly illustrated in Fig. l, when the operating 'lever 4| is elevated with the piston stem engaging the dwell 53, the bell-crank due to the pull of spring 54 will also be elevated with the pressure roller positioned a distance above the pinking ring. Through the engagement of the piston stem with the dwell 53, the parts will be maintained in elevated position until the lever 4I is manually depressed. With the pressure roller 30 in elevated position, the work can be moved freely in any direction between the pressure roller and pinking ring and, when desired, it can be sewed or seemed without being pinked.

As the operating lever 4| is depressed, the cam portion 5| will engage the piston stem and cause the bell-crank to swing downwardly, the pull spring 54 manifestly yielding to permit this action. The parts are so proportioned that when the upper dwell 52 is engaged by the piston stem, the pressure roller will be,in substantially firm engagement with the teeth of the pinking ring so that by the rotation of the ring the roller will be revolved. With work seized between the pressure roller and the pinking ring, the spring 49 in the pressure regulating device will yield by cornpression. thereby permitting the bell-crank to yield upwardly to accommodate the work but maintaining suillcient downward pressure upon the work to cause it to be cleanly pinked upon upwardly presented teeth of the pinkingrlng. It will be observed that the amount of resistance to the upward movement of the bell-crank may is screw-threaded into the cylindrical portion.

The operating lever is easily and readily operated and when depressed, it directly confronts the operator who cannot faiito note thereby that the ,sinking mechanism is in operation. In the use oi my improved mechanism, the operator's hands are free to be devoted to the manipulation of the work, except for the simple up and down movements of the operating lever for putting the pinking mechanism out of and into operation,y

respectively, and these simple movements may be accomplished bya flip of the ilngers of one hand. Another advantage of the invention is that fabric of a very delicate character may be pinked as well as fabric that is relatively thick or which consists of a plurality of layers of material. The mechanism automatically accommodates itself to the character and thickness of the work. This is particularly advantageous in ahigh speed industrial machine in which work Ais handiedvery rapidly and an amount thereof can be ruined almost before the operator becomes aware of it.` To obtain sharp, conclusive pinking of some materials, it is important that the pressure roller 30 will revolve easily from the pressure force exerted by it upon the pinking teeth.

To this end it is desirable to keep the bearing for the roller 30 constantly lubricated and hence in the present embodiment I showa grease cup 5I attached to the arm l5, there being a suitable duct (not shown) leading from this cup to the bearing for the roller. ,Y

In Fig. 4 for purposes of illustration, I show a fragment of work 56 seized between the pressure roller and the pinking ring for edge-pinking; and this work is also shown in position under the presser-foot, having been sewed with the stitches 51 by .the sewing needle. In the present embodiment, l show a guide 'member 5l for engaging and guiding the edge of the work to be pinked. Said member 58 is attached to a plate 59 adjustably mounted on the base within the circle of the ring, the mode of mounting for adjustment consisting in the provision of an elongated slot 60 and a set-screw 6| which passes through the slot and is threaded in the base. For cooperation with the guide member 58. the presser-foot is here shown as provided with a guide 62 under which the work passes before' it is seized between the pressure roller and pinking ring.

With my improved'pinking mechanism, any type of stitched seam that can be produced on the industrial sewing machine can be edge-pinked as it is seemed. In Figs. 6 to 9 for purposes of illustration, I show various types of seams, each stitched along a line 63 and edge-pinked at El. In Fig. 9, the part 65 represents leather material which is seamed to fabric and edge-pinked. In Fig. 10 the work between the lines :iz-:l: and y-y is illustrated as internally pinked at li adjacent the line of stitching 61. 'Ihe internal pinking may extend to an edge of the work or in any direction with respect to the shape or dimensions of the work, according to the position which the work is caused to assume upon the cloth plate before the leverli is depressed. In Fig. 11, I illustrate work in which the internal pinking 68 is produced on a curving path.

It will now be apparent thatI have provided a novel andv useful pinking mechanism, and one which embodies the features of advantage enumerated in the statement of invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible of modification without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

I claim:-

1. Atrim'ming mechanism comprising a sewing head including a support, two levers mounted thereon for swinging movement, one comprising' an actuating lever and the second a pressure lever having work engaging means for making pressure upon a bottom pinking cutter, and means including a relatively movabieautomatic pressure support, said pressure lever having work engaging means and adapted when depressed to press the work engaging means upon the cutter, and a spring urged pressure regulating device carried by one of said levers and engaging the other,

whereby the depression oi' the actuating lever will .depress the pressure lever through said device.

4. A face plate for sewing machine heads having. in combination, an actuating lever, a swingable pressure lever, and means operated by the actuating lever for swinging the pressure lever to pressure exerting position, said means including an automatically operated pressure regulating device, yieldably` responsive to variable opposing pressure resisting swinging movement oi the pressure lever from the latter position.

5. In a trimming mechanism of the character described, an overhead support, a pressure device pivoted to the support for vertical swinging.

movement and adapted to be swung into elevated position and lowered position, a rotatable roller carried by said device, adapted to make pressure upon work when the device is in lowered position, resilient means normally urging said device into elevated position, manually operated means on the support for swinging said device into lowered position against the urge of said resilient means, and relatively movable coacting parts on said pressure device and manually operated means for fixing said device in both positions.

6. In trimming mechanism of the character described comprising a bottom pinking ring, .an overhead suport provided with a depressible lever adaptedto be positioned to exert pressure upon the ring, an actuating lever, and a plunger and its compression spring interposed between the two levers whereby actuation of the actuating lever will depress the pressure lever to position to exert pressure upon the ring, said spring upon compression permitting retractive movement of the pressure lever relatively to the actuating lever.

7. In a` trimming mechanism of the character described, a support, two levers swingingly mounted thereon, a pull spring yieldingly positioning one lever for operation by the other, one of said levers having a cam portion separating two dwell portions, the other of said levers having a spring urged plunger with a projecting stem to coact with the cam and dwell portions. said spring positioned lever being operable against the pull of its spring by the other lever through the engagement of the cam portion and stem, and said latter lever being maintained in operated position relative to the other lever when the stem engages one ofthe dwell portions and in another position when the stem engages the other dwell portion.

8. I n combination, a sewing-head face-plate, a pressure devicev pivoted thereon for vertical swinging movement and adapted to be swung iromand into lowered position, said device being in the form of a bell crank having lower and upper arms, means carried by the lower arm for making pressure upon work when the device is swung into lowered position, a cylinder on the upper arm containing a plunger and a spring resisting inward movement thereof, said plunger having a projecting stem, and manually operated 4means pivoted to said Iace-plate for swinging said device into lowered position and adapted for such purpose to act against the projectingl plunger stem, said spring being yieldable to permit relative upward movement of said device according to the thickness of work engaged by said pressure making means.

-9. In a trimming mechanism of the character described, the combination of a bottom cutter, a sewing-head face-plate, means s'wingably mounted on the face-plate for pressing work on the cutter including a lever having an arm with a pressure roller and having an .arm with a movably mounted member with a spring resisting movement thereof, a second lever swingably as-V soclated with said face-plate, shaped and disposed for manual actuation to engage said member and through it to move said first lever for pressing work upon the cutter by said roller, said spring being compressible under force to allow yielding of said rst lever relatively to the said second lever according to the character and thickness of the work which is pressed upon the cutter.

10. In trimmingV mechanism of the character described, a pivoted lever having work engaging means, means urging said lever and work engaging means to a normal inoperative position, a relatively movable -actuating member for said lever, and means interposed 4between and directly coac'ting with said member and lever for moving the lever towork engaging position and permitting of relative independent movement of said lever while in the latter position.

11. In trimming mechanism of the character described, a pivoted lever having work engaging means, means urging said lever and work engaging means to a normal inoperative position, a relatively movable actuating member for said lever, and means directly interposed between said member and lever-and yieldably coacting therewith to transmit movement to said lever and also permit of its relative independent movement in response to variable opposing pressure of the work upon said work engaging means.

12; In trimming mechanism of the character described, work engaging means, a movable support therefor, means urging vsaid support and work engaging means to a normal inoperative position, a relatively movable actuating member for said support, and a pressure regulating device directly interposed between and coacting with said support and actuating member whereby operation of said member transmits movement to the supportto effect a variable pressure contact of the work engaging means with the work.

13. In trimming mechanism \of the character described, work engaging means, a supporting lever therefor, an actuating lever, means for pivotally mounting said levers substantially in the sane plane and in adjacent relation, and means interposed between opposing parts of said levers for moving the supporting lever to work engaging position, and also permitting of independent pivotal movement of the supporting lever in the latter position in response to variable pressure of the work upon said work engaging means.

VICTOR J. SIGODA. 

